Rex Ryan Says Geno Smith Is No Diva With Jets

Geno Smith is in image repair mode right now, and part of that is showing football people that he is a hard worker and a leader.

Smith had his first minicamp practice as the Jets quarterback yesterday, and wanted to let people he was working hard. Geno seems to have a fan in Jets head coach Rex Ryan.

Smith was asked about reports regarding Smith being a diva, and according to Pro Football Talk, Rex Ryan sees no diva with the Jets.

“Maybe I don’t know what diva behavior looks like, but he certainly didn’t do it here,” Ryan said after Smith had his first rookie minicamp practice today. “He’s a football player that you can tell loved the game, very knowledgeable about his system. I never saw that at all.”

Rex stated that he did research on Gino, and all reports suggest that Smith is a student of the game and a hard worker.

“Anybody that you talk to at West Virginia will tell you that,” Ryan said. “He knew it. He studied it more. He prepared harder than anybody. That’s all, just be himself, that’s the big thing, he already knows how to do it. This guy has been playing quarterback and [has been] the leader of his football team for a number of years.”

Regardless of the reputation Smith may have developed during the process, Ryan liked what he saw out of Smith on Friday.

“You kind of listen to the huddle, all that type of stuff,” Ryan said. “Some guys can’t spit it out, [Smith] certainly can. Those are things you look at, the way he conducts himself, eyes up, all that type of stuff.”